Free Mine To Hold by Cynthia Eden

badly.
    “What’s it going to be? Do you want to be
with me? Or…”
    Are you gone?
    The question hung between them.
    Claire had no one. Nothing. The clothes in
the bag were really Noah’s. If she left, where would she go?
    Do I even want to leave him?
    Her hand reached for his. His fingers were a
little rough, callused on the tips.
    She liked the roughness of his hands. She
liked to touch him.
    “I want to stay with you.”
    His fingers curled around hers. “Remember
that.” Then he bent and kissed her. She leaned into him, because
right then, Claire thought that maybe, just maybe, she could have a
chance.
    Everyone else could live and love.
    Why not her?
    ***
    Noah shut the door of the suite.
    I’ve got her. She won’t leave again.
    Claire glanced back at him. She tucked a lock
of blonde hair behind her ear. Her gaze was nervous. Hesitant.
    Did she know just what he wanted to do with
her? To her?
    Fucking Claire Kramer had been incredible.
And he planned to do it again and again.
    “I won’t be easy this time.” He felt it was
only fair to warn her.
    Her eyelids flickered.
    She didn’t realize just how furious he’d been
when he returned to find her gone. Women didn’t slip away from his
bed in the middle of the night, acting as if screwing him was
somehow shameful. They stayed. They begged for more. But…
    I never want Claire to beg.
    He didn’t want her to beg for anything.
    “I don’t remember ever asking you to be
easy,” Claire said, surprising him. She turned to face him fully.
She was wearing a snug pair of jeans and a loose top.
    She looked even sexier than she’d been in
that black dress.
    “It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be
fast.” Fair warning, Claire. They were lucky they’d made it
up the elevator. He’d thought about taking her there, but then he’d
remembered the security cameras installed there. He didn’t want
anyone else seeing Claire’s passion. “And it’s going to be right
here.”
    He yanked his shirt off and tossed it to the
floor. His hands went to his belt. To the snap of his jeans.
    Claire’s gaze was on his chest. Her blue
stare… heated.
    His cock jerked, swelling even more as it
pushed against the zipper of his jeans.
    Claire walked toward him. Her eyes were on
his chest. “I wondered…” She licked her lips.
    Sweet hell. Lick me.
    “I wanted to touch you before,” she
confessed.
    Wait, hold the hell up. Claire had wanted to touch him? His heart was jack-hammering in his
chest.
    Her hand rose, hovering above his shoulder.
Then, while he barely breathed, her fingers lowered and skimmed
over his flesh. Lightly, carefully.
    “You’re always so warm.” Her voice was husky.
Pure sin. “I like that.” Her fingers slipped down.
    His body wasn’t perfect. Far from it. Scars
snaked across his chest. Some from wounds he’d gotten while he was
enlisted, and the newest came from the attack he’d survived in
Chicago.
    The world might think he led the easy
life.
    They thought wrong.
    “I knew there was more to you,” Claire said
as her head bent. “You’re not just the businessman.”
    Hell, no, he wasn’t.
    Her lips brushed over the scar on his
shoulder. Then the one that was too near his heart. The bullet that
had nearly ended him.
    His muscles stiffened.
    Claire slid down his body. Her mouth skimmed
over the scar that wrapped around his side. Then she went even
lower.
    Her knees dropped to the carpet.
    Fuck me.
    “Baby, as much as I like where you’re going,
I can’t wait.” Her mouth on him… there’d be no control
then.
    He didn’t want to hurt Claire. He was far too
close to the edge.
    He pulled her back to her feet. Stripped her
in seconds.
    “But—”
    “Here, Claire. Now.”
    Then he put her against the door. “Are you on
the pill?”
    Claire shook her head.
    “Don’t move, ” he growled out the
order.
    She didn’t.
    In seconds, he was back. He wanted to go bare
with her. To drive deep and feel her hot grip all around him.